The present invention relates to a portable self-contained beverage dispenser that provides for the immediate dispensing of a cooled soft drink and has particular application for use in the home refrigerator.
Soft or carbonated drinks are normally purchased for home use in either glass bottles or cans which are normally obtained by the consumer in quantities depending upon the frequency of use. Some glass bottles are of the so called "throw-away" variety, and these are preferred by consumers since they do not require storing for return when fresh bottles are purchased. However, throw-away bottles are objectionable because of the inherent disposal problems and thus for ecological reasons are not desirable. Soft drinks that are purchased in metal cans are equally objectionable since the cans must be disposed of or recycled, and disposing of the cans can provide a disposal problem which is also ecologically disadvantageous. Recycling of cans also requires additional time, effort and expense, and although the consumer is not directly involved in the disposal or recycling of bottles and cans there nevertheless is a community interest; but aside from the ecological considerations; the consumer is vitally concerned with the economic disadvantages of purchasing soft drinks from commercial establishments.
Those soft drink beverages that are purchased in returnable bottles, obviously are of some nuisance to the user, since the bottles must be stored for return to the supermarket or other commercial establishment, and not only do bottles provide a storage problem before and after consumption of the soft drink, but present an additional problem in the physical handling thereof in their return to the retail store.
Regardless of the manner in which soft drink beverages are purchased, they still are usually refrigerated to provide a palatable drink, and it is not uncommon for many families to keep several soft drink bottles in the home refrigerator at all times.
Some efforts have been made heretofore to avoid the purchase of bottles or cans of carbonated beverages, and these prior known systems have generally included a beverage dispenser that utilizes some form of a refrigerated carbonated water container and separately located syrup containers. In the prior known constructions, the carbonated water and syrup were mixed to provide a carbonated drink that was supposed to simulate a soft drink as dispensed at a soda fountain. However, these prior known home soda dispensers in most cases did not sufficiently mix the soda water and syrup and the resultant carbonated drink was not always palatable and satisfactory for the consumer's use. Further, these prior known home dispensers were somewhat complex in construction and as a result were uneconomical in the use thereof. In most instances, the prior known home beverage dispensers included a small refrigerator as part of the unit, which also materially increased the cost of the use of the unit.
The present invention is intended to provide a convenient carbonated drink dispenser that is portable and that is easily stored in the home refrigerator, and that further is economical in the use thereof so that a considerable savings is effected by use of the subject invention over that experienced in the use of bottles and cans as presently experienced by the consumer.
Of the prior known dispensing devices of which applicant is aware and that pertain to the subject invention, reference is made to the following U.S. Pat. Nos. Wallace, 2,014,824; Schwab, 2,032,722; Clarke et al, 2,085,956; Rubinfield, 2,515,570; Mueller, 3,069,869; Seener, 3,108,718; Baker, 3,191,402; Webster, 3,280,591; Bean, 3,266,672; and Cserny, 3,354,668.